1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a resin-framed membrane electrode assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane (solid polymer ion-exchange membrane) is used in a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), in which an anode electrode is disposed on one surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and a cathode electrode is disposed on the other surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The anode electrode and the cathode electrode each include a catalyst layer (electrode catalyst layer) and a gas diffusion layer (porous carbon).
The membrane electrode assembly and separators (bipolar plates), sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly, constitute a power generation cell (unit fuel cell). A predetermined number of such power generation cells are stacked and used, for example, as a vehicle fuel cell stack.
In some membrane electrode assemblies, one of the gas diffusion layers has smaller planar dimensions than the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the other gas diffusion layer has substantially the same planar dimensions as the solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Such a membrane electrode assembly is called a stepped MEA. A stepped MEA may be structured as a resin-framed MEA, that is, the stepped MEA includes a resin frame member so that the amount of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, which is comparatively expensive, can be reduced and so that the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, which is thin and flimsy, can be protected.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-131417, for example, describes a method for manufacturing a resin-framed membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell. In the manufacturing method, an inner peripheral protrusion of a resin frame member and an outer peripheral edge of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are fixed to each other by using an adhesive layer that is made from, for example, an ester, acrylic, or urethane hot-melt adhesive.
As described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-216230, a suction jig is usually used in a method for manufacturing an MEA. The method described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-216230 includes a step of applying a catalyst ink to a substrate while holding the substrate on a suction surface of a porous member of the suction jig. Accordingly, in the method for manufacturing a resin-framed MEA, the adhesive layer is disposed on the membrane electrode assembly in a state in which the membrane electrode assembly is sucked and held by the suction jig.